Methods and systems for enhancing processing of hydrocarbons in a fluid catalytic cracking unit using a renewable additive

A method of processing a gas oil in a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit to increase yield selectivities, the method comprising:

• introducing the gas oil and steam into a riser of a FCC unit;
• mixing the gas oil and the steam with a catalyst fluidized in the riser;
• cracking the gas oil into one or more hydrocarbon products in the FCC unit, thereby to cause one or more surfaces of the catalyst to be at least partially covered by coke so as to define a coked catalyst;
• separating the coked catalyst and pyoil from the one or more hydrocarbon products in a cyclone positioned in an upper portion of the FCC unit;
• introducing a biomass-derived pyrolysis oil into one or more of a stripping zone of the FCC unit or a stand-pipe configured to connect the FCC unit to a regenerator;
• passing the coked catalyst and the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil from the cyclone of the FCC unit to the regenerator;
• introducing at least oxygen into the regenerator;
• combusting a combination of the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil and the coke from the coked catalyst in the regenerator, thereby to oxidize via the oxygen and produce a regenerated catalyst and a flue gas;
• and
• returning the regenerated catalyst from the regenerator to the riser of the FCC unit.

A system for processing a gas oil in a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, the system comprising:

• a riser having a first inlet to receive a gas oil stream, a second inlet to receive steam, and a third inlet to receive a FCC catalyst, the riser configured to be operated under cracking reaction pressure and temperature conditions to facilitate mixing and catalytic cracking of the gas oil stream in presence of the steam and the FCC catalyst to form a plurality of FCC products and coked FCC catalyst;
• a reactor having (i) a FCC reaction zone connected to and in fluid communication with the upper portion of the riser and operated to continue the cracking of the gas oil stream in presence of the steam and the FCC catalyst to form more of the plurality of FCC products and more of the coked FCC catalyst, (ii) a separation zone to separate the plurality of FCC products from the coked FCC catalyst, and (iii) a first outlet stream to transport the plurality of FCC products to a fractionation zone to separate the plurality of FCC products into one or more of propylene, isobutene, butylenes, gasoline, distillate, diesel fuel, heating oil, slurry oil, or wet gas;
• and
• a regenerator connected to and in fluid communication with a second outlet stream of the reactor and having a fourth inlet stream to receive at least oxygen, a fifth inlet stream in fluid communication with a biomass-derived pyrolysis oil, a third outlet stream being connected to and in fluid communication with the third inlet of the riser to supply a regenerated FCC catalyst to the riser, and a fourth outlet stream positioned to discharge a flue gas containing one or more of nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or water vapor, the regenerator being operated to oxidize coke on the coked FCC catalyst and the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil, thereby to produce the regenerated FCC catalyst and the flue gas.